The pair orchestrated a strategic and controversial PR campaign to end the Strictly ‘groping’ scandal.
And last night, Katya Jones wasn’t risking having her dance partner Wynne Evans touch her waist again as she stood next to her professional partner Nancy Xu, who wrapped her arms around the Russian beauty.
As the BBC One show opened, Nancy was seen in what appeared to be a move to protect Katya, while the Welsh opera singer stood behind her with his arms firmly behind his back.
Whether this was another planned ploy to encourage Strictly fans (and the media) to insist there’s nothing to see here is unknown, but it is the latest twist in the unedifying events that have engulfed the show since the bullying claims by Amanda Abbington.
Before last weekend, irrepressible opera singer Wynne was winning over millions of Strictly Come Dancing fans with his joy and determination to learn to dance.
Katya Jones wasn’t risking her dance partner Wynne Evans touching her waist again as she stood next to pro Nancy Xu, who wrapped her arms around the Russian beauty.
Best known for the Go Compare adverts, he was even praised as the savior of the beleaguered BBC programme. But last week, the larger-than-life star faced a barrage of criticism after viewers saw his hand sliding around Katya’s waist while they were in the green room. This caused the professional dancer to forcibly remove his hand and fix the wrist in place. Evans then tried to high-five Ms. Jones, but the Russian gave him a pointed look, rolled her eyes, and turned away. Sources say they were deeply concerned that the “groping” would hurt their chances of winning.
So what were they going to do? They quickly came up with an audacious publicity strategy, but The Mail on Sunday can reveal that their attempt to dismiss it as a joke has left some sections of the BBC “absolutely infuriated”.
Evans, 52, was so interested in protecting his healthy image that he hired the services of a crisis management public relations officer. He and Jones, 35, instructed Lou Plank, who has been working with Ruth Langsford during her divorce from Eamonn Holmes. I’m told she is not funded by the BBC and is not aligned with them.
Evans and Jones immediately attempted to defuse the dispute, posting on social media that they were “just playing around” and that it was a “very silly inside joke.”
Ms Jones also said that “the idea that it made me feel uncomfortable or offended in any way is complete nonsense.”
Last week, Evans faced an avalanche of criticism after viewers saw his hand sliding around Ms Jones’ waist while they were in the green room.
Evans said he was “heartbroken” by the headlines they sparked, while Jones demanded the controversy end. I was told it was certainly not the BBC’s preferred strategy.
A source said: “There are some bosses here who are furious with Wynne for doing that and clearly (he) and Katya felt they weren’t getting the support they wanted from the BBC so they decided to do things their own way.” own way.
‘It’s fair to say the strategy wasn’t joint, it was a case of Wynne and Katya doing what they wanted, regardless of how the BBC felt.
“The decision to introduce a crisis PR also shows the level to which they are determined to save time on Strictly.” But a BBC source said Jones dismissing being touched as a joke is “definitely not in keeping with his increasingly woke culture”.
Things became more complicated when the charity Women’s Aid intervened in the matter. In a statement, it said: “Inappropriate behavior towards women is no laughing matter.”
‘With an epidemic of misogyny and violence against women and girls in the UK, we need a media culture where women feel safe to speak out, where sexually inappropriate behavior is not trivialized or joked about. It is important that we challenge inappropriate ‘jokes’ so as not to continue normalizing toxic attitudes that cultivate these forms of gender abuse.’
I was told some BBC bosses were “mortified” by the charity’s intervention. They already had to deal with the fallout from professional dancer Graziano Di Prima being sacked in July for kicking his partner Zara McDermott last year.
Evans and Jones’ approach of insisting that they are close friends and that it was all a misunderstanding continued Friday. They posted photos of themselves walking up a mountain near Evans’ Cardiff home.
Last night, the couple danced a Quickstep to Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr Blue Sky and scored 33 out of 40 points.
They hoped to have finally put an end to the controversy, but the aftertaste lingers. The BBC did not deny having scolded Evans and Ms Jones.
A source said: “Why on earth would they scold her unless it was for making light of the situation?”
Meanwhile, Evans is said to be “very angry.”
Last night, the couple danced a Quickstep to Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr Blue Sky and scored 33 out of 40 points. They didn’t address the scandal.
Former footballer Paul Merson, who scored 19 points with Karen Hauer, was praised for his “enthusiasm” as a non-dancer.